International Education/Eligibility for Master's in English?

QuestionQUESTION: Hi Nancy,
I've an undergraduate in mechanical engineering (B.E. Production Engineering). Having worked in an industry for a year, I realized that Engineering is not my thing and that English is my passion. Thus, I'm eyeing for a Master's in English.
1) I live in India and I want to study English in USA or UK. Am I eligible with my Engg. degree? Or, is it mandatory to do a Bachelor's in English?
2) If Engineering degree is eligible, what should I do - such as writing TOEFL or GRE, etc.?
Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi, Arun, Thanks for your question.

In general, the answer to your question is that you will have to research the requirements of specific universities to find one that will accept you to study English at the graduate level with an undergraduate degree in engineering. It is not at all unlikely that you can find such a program, but each university, sometimes each department within the university, will have different requirements.

Once you find a program that you wish to enter, they will tell you if they require the TOEFL or GRE exams. You can wait on those exam requirements until later in the application process, you don't need to take them early on.

Best of luck!

Nancy Longatan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much, Nancy.
I don't want to spend another 3 years in studying Bachelor's and then taking up Master's. Do you, in any way, happen to know any such universities that does not mandate a Bachelor's in English for taking up Master's? Also, I've had studied two English subjects in my Engineering course.
Please guide me if you know any such university.

AnswerSorry I don't know in particular which university you should look at. I think there are many that will accept you directly into a graduate program in English with your Bachelors in Engineering. But you will have to look at the universities one by one to see what they requirements are.

Nancy Longatan

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Comment

Thank you so much. Almost everyone said that a Bachelor's in English or equivalent is necessary, and I was fretting over it. Although it is a painstaking process to go one by one and 'research,' I'd do so.
Thank you again, Nancy. Take care.

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